All cells show some ability to move at some stage of their lives. Some cells are highly active, such as immune system cells and amoebae. The basis for all cell movement arises from the cell’s internal skeleton that is made of proteins called tubulin and actin. Using structures made from these proteins, cells can move internal material, divide, crawl, and swim.

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Human white blood cell - phagocytosis

Human white blood cells engulf green fluorescent particles.

Elapsed time 5 minutes

A drop of blood was placed on a coverslip with a silicon spacer and diluted with saline solution. The drop was incubated at 37°C for 20 minutes, then red blood cells were washed away. A mixture of saline solution with human serum and opsonized yeast particles was used to cover the remaining cells. Images were taken on an upright inverted microscope with a 40x DIC objective at room temperature using a digital camera. Yeast pariticles have been colored green for visibility.